The present invention relates generally to abrasive articles and, more particularly, to abrasive articles having a universal hole pattern for use on sanding tools having different dust collection hole patterns.
Hand-held power sanding tools, such as orbital sanders or random orbit sanders, often include dust collection systems that help collect dust generated during the sanding process. Sanding tools equipped with dust collection systems typically include a vacuum system that sucks the sanding dust through a plurality of holes, or openings, in the tool and into a bag or canister. Such sanding tools typically use abrasive discs that are removably and replaceably mounted on the tool or on a back-up pad using, for example, adhesive, hook-and-loop fasteners or other conventional attachment means. The abrasive discs contain openings that allow dust generated during the sanding process to be collected through the dust collection holes in the sanding tool. Existing sanding tools with dust collection systems come with several different hole patterns for dust collection, and abrasive discs are designed with hole patterns that generally match the sanding tool dust collection hole patterns (i.e. the abrasive disc contain openings that leave at least a portion of the dust collection holes in the sanding tool exposed so they can suck in dust).
In the U.S. retail market, there are two predominant dust collection hole patterns for sanding tools, the five hole pattern, and the eight hole pattern. FIG. 1 illustrates the mounting surface 2 of a sanding tool having the common five hole pattern. Each dust collection hole 4 has a diameter of about ⅜ inch (9.53 millimeters) that is located on about a 2.766 inch (70.26 millimeter) diameter circle. FIG. 2 illustrates the mounting surface 6 of a sanding tool having the common eight hole pattern. Each hole 8 has a diameter of about ⅜ inch (9.53 millimeters) and is located on about a 2.626 inch (66.70 millimeter) diameter circle. The mounting surface 2, 6 to which the abrasive disc is affixed may be provided as part of the sanding tool itself, or the mounting surface 2, 6 may be provided as part of an intermediate back-up pad, such as a foam or non-woven material, that is attached to the sanding tool.
Because sanding tools having different hole patterns exist in the market, abrasive disc manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers must make and/or stock discs with each pattern in all abrasive grit sizes for use with the different sanding tools. This results in increased costs, inconvenience, and stocking difficulty in trying to meet the customer's needs. In order to reduce these problems, attempts have been made to provide abrasive discs with a universal hole pattern that can be used with different dust collection hole patterns.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,112 (Long et. al.), for example, discloses abrasive discs for use with orbital sanders having dust extractor systems in which the discs are adapted for use with orbital sanders having different patterns and numbers of dust extractor holes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,743,086 (Nelson et. al.) discloses a universal abrasive article adapted to mount on a mounting surface of a sanding tool having a plurality of dust collection holes that define an open area, wherein the abrasive article includes a plurality of discrete apertures that are sized and positioned so as to expose a majority of the open area of the dust collection holes independent of the angular orientation of the abrasive article when the abrasive article is in registration with the mounting surface.